# What This Congressional Resolution Actually Does

This is a statement from Congress saying that the Trump administration's plan to put 25% tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada breaks the trade agreement these three countries made together. Think of it like this: the United States, Mexico, and Canada signed a contract called the USMCA (which replaced the older NAFTA deal) that says they'll trade with each other without these kinds of heavy taxes on imports. Congress is essentially saying, "We believe these new tariffs violate that contract."

The resolution points out that trade with Mexico and Canada is huge for the American economy—we buy and sell hundreds of billions of dollars worth of goods with each country every year, and this trade supports around 17 million jobs. The resolution argues that suddenly slapping a 25% tax on imports from these countries creates chaos and uncertainty for businesses and consumers, and breaks the rules everyone agreed to follow. It's worth noting that this is just Congress expressing its opinion—it's not a law that would actually stop the tariffs from happening.

What makes this interesting is the timing and the contradiction. The resolution quotes President Trump from 2020 calling the USMCA "the largest, most significant, modern, and balanced trade agreement in history," but now his administration is proposing tariffs that Congress says violate that same agreement. For everyday Americans, this matters because tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada typically lead to higher prices on everything from cars and groceries to electronics and clothing. The resolution is essentially Congress pushing back and saying these tariffs don't make sense given the trade deal that's already in place.

Expressing the sense of Congress that Trump administration tariffs on Mexico and Canada are in violation of the United States of America-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

Costa, Jim

<p>This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico are in violation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement&nbsp;(USMCA). (President Donald J. Trump issued executive orders on February 1, 2025, to&nbsp;impose an additional 25% tariff on most imports from Canada and Mexico.)</p>